


Born Ready For You

by taggiecb



Series: Grace, Too [3]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Adoption, Children, Difficult Decisions, Family Drama, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-02-29 14:31:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18780184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taggiecb/pseuds/taggiecb
Summary: Harry and Louis' life gets turned upside down once again with an unexpected visitor.





	Born Ready For You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [polka_stripes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/polka_stripes/gifts).



> I take no responsibility for this whatsoever. This was a request (demand? I'll never tell) from a very supportive and very excited friend. Much love E!!

Harry and Louis walk out of the barn together in silent companionship. The day had been long but fruitful causing Louis to be both exhausted and at the same time satisfied. It’s almost September and winter preparation is close to three quarters done by Louis’ estimation. He’s just about to stretch and suggest to Harry that they crash Niall’s dinner table for supper instead of cooking when Harry points to the driveway. 

Louis tries to discreetly squint as to not showcase how badly he needed glasses to see far away. He’s really not emotionally ready for bifocals no matter how much Harry nags and tries to comfort him about it. But he almost wishes that he didn’t see what was waiting for him.  Everything in his body stops, his feet, his mind, his hunger, his heart. Next to a newer looking dark gray Impala stands Earnest, his brother. His brother who he hasn’t seen in actual years. His brother who hasn’t spoken to Louis for just as long, blaming Louis’ mental health on a lot Earnest's own problems along with a few other hurtful things.  Louis had suggested that maybe Earnest needed to see someone, talk to someone, but Ernie had hung up and that was that. 

But now here he is, looking decades older than he should and out of place where he should feel the most at home. Louis and Harry approach him cautiously. Louis wants to go in for a hug but Ernie is tense and is screaming for anyone close to keep their distance with his body language. 

“What are you doing here?” Harry asks, it’s polite, but the undertone is unforgiving. Harry had been there when Louis got the call from Ernie. Harry had suggested hunting him down into whatever part of the world he was in and forcing him to apologise by whatever means necessary.

Louis puts a hand on his shoulder to settle him. Ernie’s response to Harry’s short and uninviting tone causes both of their jaws to drop. 

  
  


“We don’t know that it’s his,” Harry suggests now that it’s just the two of them again. 

“It’s his,” Louis chuckles, humourless. 

What Ernie needed to talk to them about was that about a week ago Ernie got a visit from his ex that he hadn’t seen in almost three years. Except she wasn’t alone. She had a child with her. A child that Louis has never seen look like one of it's parents more than this child, Kenneth, Ernie had called him. A little blonde haired, blue eyed baby that shot Louis right back to when Ernie himself was that age. 

She told Ernie that she didn’t want him, she couldn’t be a mom. And if Ernie didn’t take him, she would put him into the system. Ernie took him because he didn’t know what else to do, but Ernie wasn’t exactly the parenting type himself. So he went to the one person who he knew would know what to do. 

“Pretty funny that he didn’t want anything to do with you when he was living large on his parent’s inheritance, but now that he’s in a mess you’re the one who has to deal with it.” Harry grumbles, a flash of anger that’s been going in and out all day brightens his eyes. 

“You can be snarky all you want when we figure out what we’re going to do,” Louis looks up where he knows that Ernie and Kenneth are both  asleep above them 

“He’s planning on dropping this poor innocent baby off on your doorstep and continuing on. What’s there to figure out? Besides where to bury the body?” 

“Would it be so bad?” Louis asks, more to himself than anything. 

“Are you kidding me?” Harry whisper shouts, more shouts than whispers. “It’s a human child Lou, not a goat or a stray cat. A baby.” 

“Yeah, a baby. A baby that right now has no one that is loving him like he’s the best thing in the world. Imagine if that was little Jay, imagine if she didn’t have us, and her mom and dad, and her uncles and cousins. He has no one right now.” Louis pauses, throat tight with emotion and nerves. Harry is staring at him expectantly.  “And we have a really big house.”

“You’re seriously considering this,” Harry tries to sound incredulous, but Louis doesn’t miss the glint in his eyes and the deep bob of his throat. 

“It’s not my decision to make,” Louis reaches a hand out and Harry immediately takes it. “Not on my own,” 

“Lou, you’re a grandfather,” Harry reminds him, which makes Louis smile, because yes he is. 

“I’m not much older than mom and dad were when they had Ernie and Doris.”

“It’s going to be a legal nightmare,” Harry says again, and this is the moment when they both know that Harry has been caught. He has been thinking about it too, all night. 

“Worth it,” Louis says, and realises he means it with all his heart. 

Harry doesn’t say anything right away but slowly, very slowly, nods. “Yeah, worth it.” 

 

The next morning Kenneth is outside in over sized rubber boots left over by one of the kids, clasping Harry’s hand tight while they feed the sheep and the small handful of chickens that had joined them over the summer. Louis watches brown curls and blonde curls bob around and it rips his heart apart and slams it back together repeatedly. 

“Are you sure about this?” Ernest asks. The hard voice and distant attitude has been slowly replaced by the true emotion that he had been trying desperately to contain. It’s mostly made up of fear. 

“Don’t,” Louis cuts him off, more angry with him now than he was when Earnest showed up the day before. “Don’t act like loving that sweet child is anything but a privilege. I can’t believe-” He stops himself because yelling isn’t going to solve anything. He takes a deep breath and looks at Ernest, really looks at him. He’s faded. His looks, his personality, is just a shadow of the person he used to be. Louis almost pities him. “I can’t believe that you are so willing to walk away from that baby. Your baby.” 

“Can’t you?” Ernest goes cold again. “Can’t you see me for what I am?” 

“Yes actually. I can see that you need help. You need love. You need to be here.” The last words surprise even him. Does he mean that? Could he handle being under the same roof as this man? The truth mocks him. He _was_ this man not long ago. 

“You don’t want me here and I can barely look at this house.” Ernest says, void of emotion, but truthful. “And I can’t care for him. Emotionally, I can’t care. Please Lou.” 

“Don’t beg me,” Louis wants to shut him up with his fists. “We will care. We will love him. But you have to make a decision.” 

“‘Course,” Ernest shrugs, so willing to just give it all up, what could be the best part of his life. 

“If you do this, if this is what you really want, that’s it. No going back. You can’t walk in here in five years and decide you want to be a father.” Ernie’s face is impassive and Louis wants to shake him. “Legally, this is it. Emotionally this is it.” 

“I might be messed up Lou, but I’m not stupid. I’m not going to change my mind. You can take care of him, you can love him. You have a home. I came here for a reason you know.” 

Louis feels his throat fill with emotion again, but he’s not going to let Ernest see it. Not now. He can’t believe this is happening. This is real. He nods and turns away from Ernest just in time to see Harry and Kenneth walking towards them. 

“He fed the chickens!” Harry smiles with pride and glee. “He’s a natural,” Harry cheeks are flushed with the warm September breeze and pure happiness. 

He looks at Louis, giving him a spousal stare asking questions that he doesn’t dare voice out loud. Louis gives him one back and nods slightly. Harry’s whole body comes alive as he’s looking at the little boy who already adores Harry. Harry bends down and scoops Kenneth up into his arms and holds him close, only sparing one glance to Ernest who he nods to, in thanks Louis thinks, and heads towards the kitchen door. Louis has been, in this moment, replaced as Harry’s favourite human in the world. And he’s totally fine with it. 

He looks back to Ernest and isn’t really surprised to see that he’s already walking towards his car. He lifts a hand in acknowledgement. Ernest doesn’t look back as he speeds down the gravel driveway.

 

Getting the legalities of becoming Kenneth’s guardians is heart breakingly easy. Both of Kenneth's parents are more than happy to sign over the papers and be rid of him. It makes Louis flare with anger every time he thinks about it, so he tries not to. Official adoption is a different battle and a little ways down the road, so he tries not to focus too hard on that either. 

He walks into the house with the paperwork in his hand. He feels a sense of dread to tell Harry that it’s official. He wants to pretend that it’s unfounded anxiety. He would love to tell himself that it’s just nerves. But the truth is that he feels like he’s throwing Harry in the middle of something that he doesn’t deserve. He feels like he’s dropping a little blonde haired blue eyed problem right in his lap. Harry didn’t sign up for this. 

He finds Harry and Kenneth in the living room. They’re both on the floor, Harry propped up against the wall, long legs open and bent like a fence holding Kenneth in. They’re rummaging through a box of toys and supplies that his sisters had gathered up to tide them over until they could get some things for themselves. Louis can’t tell who is having more fun. 

“Kenneth, Kenneth, look at this one!” Harry is holding up a small stuffed bear that Kenneth is completely ignoring in favour of the small pair of socks that are covered in balloons. “I don’t know K, our family are not sock people.” Kenneth just giggles and proceeds to pull them on his hands and wave them in Harry’s face. 

“Ok, I guess they are pretty cool socks,” Harry concedes and tosses the bear back in the box. 

Harry continues to dig, making a great racket to get Kenneth’s attention. It eases Louis’ stress only slightly. 

“Hey,” he says from the doorway. Two sets of eyes instantly look up to him, both smiling brightly.

Harry pulls himself up off the floor, scooping Kenneth into his arms on the way. Kenneth squeals in delight. “Hey,” Harry replies. The word is short and light but holds the weight of their futures beneath the surface. 

Louis takes a breath and looks down at the envelope in his hands. Harry follows his gaze and Louis can feel his breath stop. “Harry, I know that you say this is alright. But you don’t have to-”

“He’s ours?” 

There’s no point in dragging out the details of  adoption and the red tape they’ll have to cut through to get to that finish line. Harry knows, he knows everything. “Yeah, if you want.” 

“Lou,” Tears brim in Harry’s eyes. Tears of joy. He shakes Louis’ shoulder with his free hand. “Louis!” 

“I know, I know.” 

“I don’t think you do,” Harry looks at Kenneth who’s slowly lowering his head towards Harry’s shoulder, eyes a bit droopy, fingers digging into the collar of his t shirt. Harry pulls him closer, resting his cheek on Kenneth’s soft curls. “You gave him to me, you gave this all to me.”

“It’s a lot,” Louis says, bringing his hand up to Kenneth’s back, rubbing small circles between his shoulder blades and soaking up the warmth of the little bundle. 

“It’s everything,” 


End file.
